Ceramic Cosmetic Applicator

ABSTRACT

A cosmetic applicator formed from ceramic material designed to provide a product chilling effect when applying creams, lotions, treatment products, etc. The applicator is provided with a relatively substantial mass so that it has a greater thermal capacity than the dose of cosmetic and the application area combined. The applicator is in the form of a molded-ceramic applicator head or applicator tip designed to provide a relatively larger product-chilling effect to both the dose of cosmetic applied and to the user&#39;s skin in the application area when applying creams, lotions, treatment products, etc. The applicator provides an application device which will deliver the creams, lotions, treatment products, etc. such that the temperature of the product being delivered is lower than the temperature of the skin, and to provide a means of lowering the temperature of the skin by virtue of the thermal absorption capacity of the applicator head or tip, and to provide a vehicle by which formulations may be activated or enhanced by specific compounds in the ceramic material from which the applicator tip is comprised.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/184,238, filed Jun. 4, 2009.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of cosmetic packaging thatincludes an applicator. More particularly, the present invention is acosmetic applicator formed from ceramic material designed to provide aproduct chilling effect when applying creams, lotions, treatmentproducts, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For the convenience of the cosmetic user, cosmetic packaging oftenincludes a cosmetic applicator suitable for dispensing the particularcosmetic contained in the package reservoir. In the case of a jar orvial, the applicator may be a wand with a handle at one end and anapplicator head in the form of a brush, spatula or other applicatorstructure suitable for applying the particular cream, lotion, foundationor color cosmetic. Where the cosmetic container is a bottle or tube, theapplicator may be in the form of an applicator tip secured directly tothe neck of the bottle or tube, and may additionally be provided with anopening or openings, or a duct or ducts, adapted to expel or expresscosmetic product from the container. The applicator head or applicatortip is used to apply and spread the applied product, and mayadditionally serve to massage the skin of the user in the applicationarea. Applicator heads and applicator tips having a variety of shapesand configurations are known, a number of which are provided with meansfor heating. Heating the applicator head or applicator tip is said tofacilitate treatment and efficacy by, for example, expanding skin pores.

Applicators used in combination with heat are disclosed for example inpatents, such as, U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,157 to Phillips or U.S. Publn. No.2007/0206986 to Gueret.

It is also believed that cooling certain skin conditions can have abeneficial effect. For example, cooling the skin area below the eyes hasbeen shown to reduce puffiness. In the past such cooling has beenaccomplished with, for example, chilled cucumber slices, pre-chilledtreatment creams or lotions, or chilled washcloths or cleansing pads.

Prior art packages with applicator heads or applicator tips includingglass or metal components have been used to provide some chillingeffects to the package, but the effectiveness has generally been limitedby the relatively small thermal mass of the components and by otherlimitations. Glass, for example, may shatter when dropped. Some types ofmetal may oxidize which in turn may cause discoloration of the cosmeticproduct. Both metal and glass present challenges with respect to costeffective manufacture of complex shapes, structural and surface details.

Accordingly there is a need for an applicator head or applicator tipthat provides a relatively large thermal chilling effect without thelimitations and disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a molded-ceramic applicator head or applicatortip designed to provide a relatively larger product-chilling effect toboth the dose of cosmetic applied and to the user's skin in theapplication area when applying creams, lotions, treatment products, etc.The purpose of the invention is to provide an application device whichwill deliver the creams, lotions, treatment products, etc. such that thetemperature of the product being delivered is lower than the temperatureof the skin, and to provide a means of lowering the temperature of theskin by virtue of the thermal absorption capacity of the applicator heador tip, and to provide a vehicle by which formulations may be activatedor enhanced by specific compounds in the ceramic material from which theapplicator tip is comprised.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an applicator tip of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the embodiment of the applicator tipshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the applicator tipshown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional and perspective view of the embodiment ofthe applicator tip shown in FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A cosmetic applicator tip of the present invention for applying aquantity of cosmetic product to an application area on the skin of auser is shown generally in FIGS. 1-4 designated by reference number 2.The terms “applicator tip” and “applicator head” are usedinterchangeably throughout this application to mean any structure ordevice provided for use in connection with a cosmetic product and thatincludes a surface adapted and intended to facilitate the loading,dispensing, transport and application of cosmetic product drawn from theproduct reservoir and applied to the application area on a user. Theapplicator tip 2 may take the form of an applicator structure on anapplicator device, such as, for example, a tube end dispenser 16securely mounted in the neck 14 of a tube container 10 that defines acosmetic product reservoir 12 (as shown in FIG. 1). Alternatively, theapplicator tip may take the form of a roller ball (not shown—e.g., likea roll-on deodorant applicator) secured in the neck of a tube or bottlecontainer. As yet another alternative, the applicator tip may take theform of a spatula, spreader, spoon, etc., on a wand or handle (notshown).

The applicator tip 2 is intended for use with a cosmetic product P(FIG. 1) that is capable of conducting heat. The applicator tip 2comprises a body 6 made of a ceramic material. At least one applicatorsurface 8 is provided on the body 6. In the embodiment shown, a productdelivery orifice 20 is provided in the applicator surface 8. An internalproduct delivery passage 18 in the body 6 provides fluid communicationbetween the reservoir 12 and the orifice 20 to permit product P to flowor be expelled from the reservoir 12 through the orifice 20 to theapplicator surface 8. The applicator surface 8 is adapted to receivefrom the reservoir 12 a pre-determined quantity 4 (representedschematically in broken lines) of cosmetic product P. The applicator tip2, and in particular, the applicator surface 8, are also adapted toapply the quantity 4 of cosmetic product P to an application area on auser's skin, such as, for example, the puffy area of skin under a user'seye. The pre-determined quantity 4 can be approximately equal to apre-selected, relatively uniform thickness of product P spread over thetotal area of the applicator surface 8. The quantity 4 of cosmeticproduct P has a thermal capacity (thermal capacity is also known as aheat capacity). The application area on the user's skin also has athermal capacity. For the purposes of this invention, the combinedthermal capacity of the quantity 4 of cosmetic and the thermal capacityof the application area is defined as the “first thermal capacity”.

The body 6 is provided in a relatively large mass and made of a materialsufficient to act as a thermal sink or a heat sink relative to the firstthermal capacity of the quantity 4 of cosmetic product P and applicationarea on the user's skin. As shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 1,the body 6 is formed from a relatively massive amount of materialbeneath the applicator surface 8 and about the orifice 20 and passage18. This relatively massive amount of material and the type of materialprovides to the body 6 a second thermal capacity that is substantiallygreater than the first thermal capacity. Because the second thermalcapacity of the body 6 is greater than the first thermal capacity of thequantity 4 of cosmetic product and application area on the user's skin,and because the applicator tip 2 will generally be at temperature closeto an ambient air temperature, thermal energy in the form of heat willbe drawn from the higher temperature of the user's skin to theapplicator tip either through the quantity 4 of cosmetic product P orthrough direct contact of the applicator tip 2 to the user's skin. Inother words, the second thermal capacity of the body 6 draws thermalenergy in the form of heat from the first thermal capacity of thequantity of cosmetic product 4 and the application area on the user'sskin such that a chilling sensation or effect is provided to the skin ofthe user. This chilling sensation or effect is believed to reduce, forexample, the puffiness associated with the skin area below the eye. Tofurther enhance the chilling effect and increase the heat drawingcapacity of the applicator tip 2, prior to use, the applicator tip 2 canbe chilled by, for example, refrigerating the package or dipping theapplicator tip 2 into cool water or other liquid.

The cosmetic applicator tip 2 may be provided with means for attachingthe body to a wand (not shown) or a package. For example, in FIG. 1, thepackage illustrated is a tube container 10 with a neck 12. The neck 12includes external threads 22 for attaching a closure cap (not shown)over the applicator tip 2. The tip 2 has an upper portion 24 below whichis a reduced diameter portion 26 defined between an upper annularshoulder 28 and lower annular shoulder 30. A reduced diameter portion 32of neck 14 of tube container 10 is received in press fit in the reduceddiameter portion 26 of the applicator 2 between the upper annularshoulder 28 and the lower annular shoulder 30. Other means for attachingthe body to a wand or package may be provided, such as, for example,threaded attachment, bayonet attachment, rod-in-bore, bonded, welded,glued, interference or friction fit, etc.

The ratio of the first thermal capacity of the quantity of cosmeticproduct and the application area of the user's skin to the secondthermal capacity of the applicator tip is in the range of at least 1:2,but preferably a much higher ratio, such as, for example 1:5 or 1:10 or1:20 or greater. The greater the ratio, the more quickly the chillingeffect will be felt and the effect will be felt by the user for a longerperiod of time.

The applicator tip 2 is made from a ceramic material. Preferably, theceramic material is made by a high-temperature, fired-ceramic process,e.g., sintered. The parts are formed for example, by injection molding(e.g. colloidal slurry), thermoforming, dry pressing, gel casting, hotisostatic pressing, slip casting or other known molding methods.Alternatively, the parts may be made by jiggering or jolleying. Theceramic material preferably includes aluminum. More particularly, atleast one component of the ceramic material is selected from aluminumoxide or aluminum nitride, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, theapplicator tip 2 may be made at least in part from a silicon carbide.

Preferably, the ceramic material comprises concentrations ranging from0.1% to 99.9% of the mass of the body 6. More preferably, the ceramicmaterial comprises concentrations ranging from 94% to 99.9% of the massof the body.

The material of the body 6 may also include minerals to improve theefficacy and/or the beneficial effect of the cosmetic product applied tothe application area. The minerals may include tourmaline, jade,calcite, agate, etc.

The invention is unique in several ways:

First, it utilizes a manufacturing technology that provides a variety ofcomponent surface options, component material options, and componentgeometry options unavailable in applicators designed for similarpurposes that are manufactured of metal, glass, etc. Applicator tipsmade according to the invention are free of any oxidation or corrosionissues common to some metals, and are inherently more shock resistantthan comparable parts manufactured of glass.

Second, ceramic material can be specifically designed to provide athermal capacity with a thermal coefficient and heat-absorption profileoptimal for any given formula being delivered, thereby enhancing theperformance of the formula to suit a particular formula or treatmentregimen. This cannot be achieved with comparable metal or glasscomponents used for similar purposes.

Third, the ceramic materials disclosed above may be alloyed orimpregnated with specific minerals or other compounds that provideenhanced performance of the cosmetic product being delivered by theapplicator tip. The alloyed or impregnated minerals or compounds willtend to interact with the cosmetic product as it passes through or overthe applicator tip. For example, the alloyed or impregnated minerals orcompounds may gradually dissolve into the cosmetic product as it passesthrough or over the applicator tip. These minerals include, but are notlimited to, tourmaline, jade, calcite, agate, etc.

Fourth, the materials previously used to provide a chilling effect incurrent applications of comparable designs (metal, glass, etc.) aredifficult or impossible to mold with sufficiently-fine details, such as,small orifices or passages for product delivery. Glass or metalmaterials may require a secondary operation to form fine details such asa product delivery orifice or product delivery passage or duct, and dueto manufacturing constraints the details are generally larger thandesired. With respect to the orifice or passage, this may require, forexample, lining the orifice or passage with a secondary material (e.g.,plastic or rubber) which may not have ideal thermal capacity or transfercharacteristics or cosmetic product compatibility. Thus, product isdelivered, for example, at a less than optimal temperature, i.e., notsufficiently chilled.

However, by making the same component according to the invention in aceramic, the orifices and/or passages can be made as small in diameteras desired with no secondary operations, which provides fine-diameterorifices and/or passages with full-diameter contact with the thermalcapacity of the ceramic, thereby increasing the chilling effect anddelivering product which may be cooler than the product being stored inthe container.

The advantage of this invention from a chemistry perspective is that itprovides means of altering the applicator's composition and thermalcapacity characteristics relative to a specific product delivery need orproduct-chemistry requirement. Comparable applicators comprised ofmetals and glass cannot be manipulated in this fashion, and subsequentlythe formulas they deliver must be designed around the characteristics ofthe applicator tip instead of the reverse, which is more desirable.

The advantage of the invention from a physical and manufacturingperspective is that the technology available to form ceramic partsprovides a means to produce geometries, surface textures, and componentdetails that are either unavailable in comparable metal and glasscomponents, or require significant and complicated secondary operationsto achieve the same effect.

The technology can be used to manufacture applicators and applicationsystem components for the delivery of creams, lotions, skin treatmentproducts, hair treatment products, color cosmetics, etc. It can also beused to manufacture tools and devices for the manipulation and doctoringof creams, lotions, skin treatment products, color cosmetics, etc. oncethey have been applied.

The applicator tip is comprised of a ceramic material comprised ofaluminum oxide, and/or aluminum nitride, and/or silicon carbide,possibly containing one or a combination of natural or man-madechemicals or minerals. It would be designed in a geometry which lendsitself to a specific purpose relative to the formula being delivered(examples include an under-eye applicator designed for an under-eyeformula; a hair-treatment applicator designed for a hair treatmentformula, etc). The shape of the applicator is also designed in such away to allow easy assembly to a suitable package or wand/handle withoutthe need for additional components to retain it, e.g., to the package.This is facilitated by virtue of the processes inherent to themanufacture of ceramic materials. Such details are difficult orimpossible to manufacture with other materials generally used for thesame purpose (metals, glass, etc.) without the need for extensivepost-processing and finishing.

The orifice or orifices and/or passage or passages of the applicator tipthrough which the product flows can be designed in various sizediameters and positional arrays, and the application surface itself canme molded with a variety of textures and details to enhance theeffectiveness of the delivery and the performance of the application.Such details are difficult or impossible to manufacture with othermaterials generally used for the same purpose (metals, glass, etc.)without the need for extensive post-processing and finishing.

The applicator would be made of high-temperature, fired-ceramic material(aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.), withconcentrations ranging from 0.1% to 99.9%, but preferably from 94% to99.9% aluminum nitride, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, etc.

Further, a variety of compounds, specifically natural and/or man-mademinerals, may be added to the ceramic mixture and trapped or bondedwithin the structure of the ceramic material during the manufacturingprocess. These compounds and/or minerals enhance the efficacy of theproduct being delivered and/or the beneficial effect of the ceramiccomponent in delivery and application of the product being delivered.The compounds include, but are not limited to, tourmaline, jade, calciteand agate.

In use, formula being delivered would flow through the passage andorifice and around at least part of the application surface of the tip,contacting the ceramic surfaces which would deliver the product as coldas possible relative to the thermal mass of the device by providing anoptimum contact-surface for maximum thermal-exchange between both theformula and the applicator and the skin and the applicator concurrently.The conical configuration of passage 18 facilitates such thermaltransfer by providing greater surface area for cosmetic product tocontact as it passes through the applicator tip 2. Thus, the passage hasan inwardly directed surface 34 through which the product is deliveredwhich has an included draft angle A of no less than 1 degree, and nomore than 45 degrees, which is believed to provide an optimum balance ofthermal-absorption (heat absorption), product flow, and manufacturingrequirements.

It is understood that various modifications and changes in the specificform and construction of the various parts can be made without departingfrom the scope of the following claims.

1. A cosmetic applicator tip for applying a quantity of cosmetic productto an application area on the skin of a user, the cosmetic productcapable of conducting heat, the quantity of cosmetic product and theapplication area combined having a first thermal capacity, the tipcomprising: a body made of a ceramic material and in a mass sufficientto provide a second thermal capacity substantially greater than thefirst thermal capacity; at least one surface on the body adapted toreceive the quantity of cosmetic product and apply it to the applicationarea; wherein the second thermal capacity of the body draws heat fromthe first thermal capacity of the quantity of cosmetic product and theapplication area such that a chilling effect is provided to the skin ofthe user.
 2. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 further comprisingmeans for attaching the body to at least one of a wand and a package. 3.The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the firstthermal capacity to the second thermal capacity is at least 1:2.
 4. Thecosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein at least part of the ceramicmaterial is aluminum.
 5. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 4 whereinthe aluminum is selected from aluminum oxide and aluminum nitride orcombinations thereof.
 6. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 whereinat least part of the ceramic material is silicon carbide.
 7. Thecosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein the ceramic materialcomprises concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 99.9% of the mass of thebody.
 8. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein the ceramicmaterial comprises concentrations ranging from 94% to 99.9% of the massof the body.
 9. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein the bodyfurther comprises minerals.
 10. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 9wherein the minerals are selected from at least one of tourmaline, jade,calcite and agate.
 11. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 whereinthe ceramic material is made by a high-temperature, fired-ceramicprocess.
 12. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 1 wherein theapplicator tip is adapted to be attached to a container that defines acosmetic product reservoir, the applicator tip further comprising atleast one product delivery orifice in the applicator surface, theorifice adapted to be in fluid communication with the product reservoir.13. The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 12 further comprising a productdelivery passage in the body between the delivery orifice and theproduct reservoir, the product delivery passage providing fluidcommunication from the product reservoir to the delivery orifice. 14.The cosmetic applicator tip of claim 13 wherein the product deliverypassage has an inwardly directed surface through which product isdelivered, the surface having an included draft angle of no less than 1degree, and no more than 45 degrees.
 15. The cosmetic applicator tip ofclaim 1 wherein the body is a dispenser adapted to be mounted in a neckof a container that defines a cosmetic product reservoir.
 16. Thecosmetic applicator tip of claim 16 wherein the dispenser is adapted tobe mounted in the neck of a tube container.
 17. The cosmetic applicatorof claim 1 wherein the body is a roller ball adapted to be secured inthe neck of a container.
 18. The cosmetic applicator of claim 17 whereinthe body is a roller ball adapted to be secured in the neck of acontainer selected from a tube and a bottle.
 19. The cosmetic applicatorof claim 1 wherein the body is selected from one of a spatula, aspreader and a spoon.
 20. The cosmetic applicator of claim 19 whereinthe body is secured on at least one of a wand and a handle.